Faith in Minnesota (FiMN) Faith Delegates and Alternates have undertaken an intensive process with all three Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Gubernatorial candidates: Tim Walz, Erin Murphy and Rebecca Otto. Our goal was to explore which candidate would be most viable in having a co-creative relationship with us around our agenda and values. We were looking for who we believe will create a bold, new kind of politics with us in 2018 and beyond.
This process included many conversations with the candidates, both one-to-one with the Faith Delegates and Alternates and in forum settings, including the FiMN Latino Convention where 70 faith leaders – unable to participate in the political arena because of immigration status – were able to deliberate and make recommendations to the Faith Delegation about the candidates they believe best represent our values.
Our 176 Faith Delegates and Alternates had an internal poll to rank the candidates on these values. Erin Murphy was the decisive top choice.
Our goal is to have a powerful partnership with the endorsed DFL candidate and to continue to build a co-creative relationship with other delegates and candidates. We highly support the DFL uniting and endorsing a candidate on Saturday. That is what would be best for everyone and for a positive and powerful 2018 political season.
We are not looking for a God, Messiah or Savior. As people of faith, we are grounded in that terrain. Instead, we know, that only together, through intentional, co-creative relationships with Minnesotans and people in power, will we create a people-centered politics of abundance and not scarcity. Will we have the Minnesota we all deserve – white, Black, and brown, rural, city, Muslim, Christian, parents, children, neighbors… no one will be excluded.
Our Faith Delegates come from the Greater Minnesota, inner and outer suburbs and the Cities. They represent the gamut in economic class; are Black, white, Asian and Latino and are almost a third Muslim with the bulk being Christian. The strong majority of our Faith Delegates are first time delegates to the state convention and almost half of them have never even caucused at their precincts before. They are engaged in this process because they want to change how politics happens.
FiMN has intentionally chosen not to use the language of “endorsing” or “endorsement” as it is not conducive to what we are doing or the new kind of politics we are creating. We are embodying the co-creative relationships with one another that we desire to see embraced from every single candidate in every public office.
The DFL State convention is but one weekend of a long journey to a transformed political arena in Minnesota. We embark on this boldly and our prayer is that you join us.